The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to skateboards and roller skates, and more particularly to trucks for such devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In prior art conventional skateboards or roller skates, a truck is employed to support a wheel and axle assembly to provide "steering", the steering being provided by the shifting of the weight of the rider to one side or the other, with the two trucks being mounted in mirror image relation as viewed from the side, to permit the two pairs of wheels to turn simultaneously in opposite directions resulting in both pairs of wheels defining an arc of a curve. A conventional truck arrangement for a skateboard is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,655 entitled "Brake for a Skateboard and the Like", issued Mar. 23, 1976 to Banks, et al. The trucks and skateboard shown in that device illustrate the current trucks in which two axes are formed, these being a steering axis and a rebound axis. A first member having the axle and wheel assembly coupled adjacent one end thereof is pivotally secured, usually by means of a ball and socket arrangement at the other end of the member, to the underside of a mounting plate, this member having a flange with an enlarged opening therein for receiving on either side thereof annular cushions suitably retained by washers on opposite surface with an adjustable bolt assembly passing therethrough to define the "rebound axis". In the conventional configuration, the two axes can be envisioned as a V-shaped configuration with the axle of the wheels offset from the apex of the "V" on the member defining the steering axis. Normally the axles of each pair of wheels are parallel and "outboard" of each other, that is, the axles are positioned closer to the opposite ends of the rider supporting member or skateboard, with the "rebound" cushions in facing relation, thus permitting the steering of each individual truck to be accomplished simultaneously in opposite directions in response to the shifting of the weight of the rider.
In such conventional truck arrangements, the parts are generally die cast, or sometimes machined, require many parts, and in general are somewhat complicated both to manufacture and assemble. Furthermore, by the utilization of a separate steering axis and rebound axis in the V-shaped configuration, steering constraints are placed on the system.
In U.S. Pat. Application, Ser. No. 739,079, filed Nov. 5, 1976, entitled "Truck for Skateboard or the Like" by Steven Donald Kimmell, such application being assigned to Mattel, Inc., the assignee of the instant application, the prior art skateboard truck is shown and described in contrast to the skateboard truck of such application. In the skateboard truck of the Kimmell application, only one axis is provided, this being a steering axis, with a trunnion rotating about this axis, the trunnion having a member coupled for rotation therewith to urge against cushion means circumferentially positioned about the axis within a housing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved rider supporting device such as a skateboard or the like.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved truck for use with a skateboard or roller skate or the like.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved truck having flexible hinge means for providing steering.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved truck having a hinge portion integral with the truck, deflection of the hinge portion resulting in steering.